One particular secret could tear them apart...
Yolanda Sanchez had never been a âfollow your blissâ type of girl, always preferring to make practical choices. But since her momâs will stipulated that she had to fulfill a dream with her inheritance, here she was, opening a used book store. With consummate dreamer Adam Snapp, an artist and childhood friend, as her handyman. So much for her comfort zone.
But she needs help, and Adam needs the work. Itâs strictly business...until they discover a mysterious book about Scorpion Ridge history. One that reveals not just secrets of their familiesâ pasts, but how deeply intertwined their futures really are.
She needed to have a handle on Adam.
Yolanda liked thinking about him being this happy-go-lucky, free-spirited boy who always landed on his feet. Lately, though, she was seeing him as an amazingly talented adult man who pitched in when his family needed him.
Conflicted. That was what she was.
She should avoid him at all costs. And not because she didnât respect him. After everything heâd done for her this past week, helping her with the mystery, heâd gained her respect and maybe a little more than that.
Subtle attraction.
But she knew him too well. Right now he was shouldering his responsibilities in Scorpion Ridge, but what if an offer he couldnât refuse came along? Or, an even better thought, what if his father got better and Adam wasnât needed?
He would leave, and this time he might not come back.
Dear Reader,
My love of books started in second grade. I remember the author who lit my fire for reading. She was Carolyn Haywood and she wrote the Betsy books. They were like chocolate. I couldnât get enough. Neither of my parents were readers. My mother got her first library card when I was in second grade so that I could check out enough books to keep me occupied until the next library visit.
My father was in his sixties when he got his first card. I was home from college for a few weeks and there was a book I wanted to read. The library wouldnât give me a card because I didnât have a local address, and I guess Iâd lost the old one. Dad came and applied. Of course, I had him check out a romance.
In Small-Town Secrets, Yolanda is the book connoisseur. You donât see it on the pages, sheâs too busy uncovering town secrets and getting closer to the hero, but sheâs definitely harboring a Mills & Boon Heartwarming book in her bedroom, a mystery in her purse and a paranormal beside the cash register.
My hero, Adam, also likes to read. Not everyone sees past his easygoing manner to his steadfast heart. Yolanda didnât at first. Heâs the kind of man who would say to his love, âIâll clean the houseâyou sit back and read.â Heâs also the kind of man who isnât afraid to fend off any attack. Yup, donât be fooled by his soulful brown eyes. Heâs a black belt. Which might come in handy as he and Yolanda discover more about the history of Scorpion Ridge, Arizona, and the secrets of their own families...
So settle back, enjoy the story and ask yourself about the secrets your family holds.
If youâd like to know more about the Heartwarming authors, please visit heartwarmingauthors.blogspot.com. If youâd like to know more about me, please visit pamelatracy.com. I love to hear from readers.
Pamela
PAMELA TRACY is a USA TODAY bestselling author who lives with her husband (...the inspiration for most of her heroes) and son (...the interference for most of her writing time). Since 1999, she has published more than twenty-five books and sold more than a million copies. Sheâs a past RITA® Award finalist and past winner of the Christian Fiction Writersâ book of the year award.
To my brother Danny Crawford, who has the soul of an artist (music instead of murals) and the kind of steadfast heart that his sisters need.
We love you, Danny.
CHAPTER ONE
THERE WERE TWO things Yolanda Sanchez didnât want to see in her somewhat restored Queen Anne Victorian, whose ground floor now housed the Twice Told Tales used bookstore.
One, a leaky roof. Leaks were bad, very bad, for books. But as she was a worrier, sheâd already thought about the roof and installed a new one. Now a roof leak shouldnât be a problem, especially since her bookstore took up the first floor.
The second threat was fire. Fire was bad, very bad, for books. Thatâs why the puffs of smoke floating and fading in the air near the history room couldnât possibly be good news.
Yolanda quickly set the three books sheâd been carrying to the childrenâs section on the nearest empty shelf. In her haste, she misjudged how much room she had and two of the books tumbled to the floor. She ignored them and hurried through the rows of popular fiction, self-help and romance.